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Saturday, 21 February 2015

Nod for Anandpur Sahib-Nanded highway: Badal - Chandigarh

Will facilitate lakhs of devotees to pay obeisance to Sikh shrines
and also provide impetus to the overall economic activity along the
highway

Various Central ministries have agreed to consider
various demands raised by the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh
Badal, including the construction of the Anandpur Sahib-Nanded national
highway, provide adequate funds for construction of drugs de-addiction
centres, include the State under the “Prime Minister Adarsh Gram Yojna”
and prepare a master plan for skill training.

Through
a series of communications, the Punjab government on Friday claimed
that the Union minister for shipping, road transport and highways, Nitin
Gadkari informed Mr. Badal that the Government of India would soon
declare the historic route Sri Anandpur Sahib-Talwandi Sabo-Nanded as a
National Highway project. The projected 3080 kms road, which traces the
journey of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh would pass
through Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra.

Mr. Badal shared that 1305 kms of
this was already four-laned. While the highway would facilitate lakhs of
devotees to pay obeisance to historic Sikh shrines it would provide
impetus to the overall economic and commercial activity in the concerned
States.

Mr. Gadkari assured that the ministry would
soon issue a notification declaring this route as a national highway and
the entire cost on upgradation, realignment and construction of this
prestigious national artery would be borne by the Centre. Reiterating
his commitment to complete this project on top priority Mr. Gadkari told
the Chief Minister that he would personally monitor the progress on
regular basis.

De-addiction centres

In another
meeting, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand
Gehlot assured Mr. Badal of liberal funding for setting up and running
centres for de-addiction, detoxification and rehabilitation of drug
addicts in Punjab.

Mr. Gehlot informed Mr. Badal
that the Union Government had consented to include Punjab under the
“Prime Minister Adarsh Gram Yojna” scheme, aimed at transforming the
living standards of the Scheduled Castes’ population in the State.

Expressing
gratitude, the Chief Minister said that he had been pleading to get
this demand

implemented as Punjab was the most deserving State, as it
had the highest SC population in the country.

While
as per 2011 census, SCs accounted for 32 percent of the total
population, at least 2800 of 12168 inhabited villages had more that 50
percent SC population.

The Chief Minister also
impressed upon Mr. Gehlot for sanction to set up a sports institute
dedicated to the physically challenged. He said that the State
government has already provided 10 acre land free of cost at Zirakpur to
the GoI for this Institute. Union Skill Development Minister, Rajiv
Pratap Ruddy informed Mr. Badal that within a fortnight the GoI would
announce a master plan, the implementation of which would ensure that
Punjab emerged as a hub for skill.